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By Eugene McAuliffe

IT is not possible to include in this paper, limited as it is in scope, the many diverse steps toward the reduction of mine accidents that are taken in the mines that produce the nation's coal. Every coal-producing state has enacted laws covering proper mining practices, and the major portion of these are directly related to the safety of the mine employees. The United States Bureau of Mines, the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, The American Mining Congress, a number of national, regional and state organizations, as well as the coal technical press, have covered time and time again all of the "do" and "don't" phases of mine operation that bear on the important question of mine and employee safety. Within the past 15 years The Union Pacific Coal Co. has attempted to put into practice in its mines in southern Wyoming these many good recommendations, finding some value in all, and yet, to secure substantial results, the management found it necessary to resort in the end to what might be referred to as "extra-territorial" methods. It is the writer's purpose to show in this paper that marked and even extraordinary betterment can be brought about when employer and employee work together with due sincerity. In presenting our own experience, one that has been duplicated in so far as results are concerned on numerous other properties, no theory of perfection of management exists; on the other hand, our organization feels that as long as our record of accidents remains as shown by even our latest and best performance we still have far to go. It is the writer's purpose to show in this paper that marked and even extraordinary betterment can be brought about when employer and employee work together with due sincerity. In presenting our own experience, one that has been duplicated in so far as results are concerned on numerous other properties, no theory of perfection of management exists; on the other hand, our organization feels that as long as our record of accidents remains as shown by even our latest and best performance we still have far to go.

Jan 1, 1938

By R. S. McFarland

OKLAHOMA, in 1924, recorded the largest single increase of any state; the total oil production for the year being 176,206,397 bbl. (Oil & Gas Jnl.), which gives an increase over 1923 of about 9 per cent. Oklahoma ranked second in total amount, California being first, and produced almost 25 per cent. of the total production of the United States. This gain in production is accounted for entirely by the rapid development, deeper drilling, and efficient management of productive areas known at the beginning of the year, for, due to the small number of wells drilled, few new pools were discovered and developed up to any important stage during the year. Three major pools, Burbank, Tonkawa and Cromwell, furnished 37 per cent. of the total production. Burbank led by a wide margin, having the largest production of any single pool; there was a steady increase in production until September. The close. development of the pools in Okfuskee, Seminole, and Hughes Counties, together with the new deep-sand production at Tonkawa and increased drilling operations in Osage County, accounted for the big increase shown during the year. In January, 1924, the shutdown movement and curtailment of production in Hewitt and Tonkawa, which had been effective during the year of 1923, were stopped. The shutdown movement and curtailment of operations in 1923 does not give a fair comparison with 1924, as undoubtedly a great deal more oil would have been produced in 1923 had it not been for these measures. The sensational developments during the year, which were certainly beyond the prediction of the oil industry, were the Cromwell field, which started the year with 10,478 bbl. for January and increased rapidly to 1,267,032 bbl. for. December, and the discovery of the Wilcox productions below 4000 ft. in the Tonkawa field in May, which by the end of the year had produced 11,650,000 bbl. In this connection, it can be safely said that 1924 was a banner year for the Wilcox sand series; it has been estimated that between 40,000,000 and 50,000,000 bbl. of the production for the year came from this sand. Although numerous Wilcox pools were opened throughout the state, the big Wilcox production came from. the Tonkawa and Stroud pools. Oklahoma's deepest well, the Kingwood Oil Co. No. 1 Barnett in the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Sec. 7 T. 7 N. R. 10 E., Hughes County, was abandoned in January, at 5281 ft. with numerous good shows recorded, which have stimulated-further drilling in the locality.

Jan 3, 1925

By Shawn T. Sorrell, Carl Hrovatic

Original by Carl Hrovatic and Shawn T. Sorrell Revised by Carl Hrovatic Land is a precious resource and should be treated as such by all members of our society. The soil covering this earth is only a very thin outer layer, varying in thickness from a few inches to a few feet and covering the rocks and minerals lying beneath the surface. The wise use of this valuable commodity is the responsibility of everyone. Many everyday activities disturb the earth's surface. Examples are highway construction, housing and commercial developments, agriculture, and various types of mining. This chapter discusses the relationships of the environment to land as it applies to surface operations in the coal industry. Mining by surface methods disturbs, for a brief period of time, thousands of acres of land annually. In addition, refuse piles, slurry ponds, abandoned mine structures, unprotected mine openings, and unsightly cleaning plants can also adversely affect land unless properly handled. ACTIVE SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS Mining by surface methods includes rock quarries; sand and gravel pits; huge open pits to extract iron, copper, phosphate, and other ores; and coal mining. Production of coal by surface methods is now approaching 408.2 Mt/a (450 million stpy), amounting to almost 60% of the total coal output. Surface coal mining can be classified into the following five broad categories : Open-pit mining is practiced where coalbeds are extremely thick, as in some western states, or where coalbeds are sharply pitching, as in the anthracite region of the eastern United States. A typical open-pit mine, with coalbeds of 3.05 to 30.5 m (10 to 100 ft) or more thickness and a

Jan 1, 1981

By J. B. Hess, R. L. Dietrich

In the mechanical twinning of magnesium on the {1012} planes the crystal-lographic deformation is such that, in the direction of the hexagonal axis [0001], twinning is possible only undef tension stress, while in the directions perpendicular to the hexagonal axis, twinning is possible only under applied compression. Thus in extruded magnesium and magnesium alloys where the extruded textures are best described as either [1010] or [1120] fibers,' the basal planes are all nearly parallel to the extrusion axis and such material is susceptible to ( 1or2 ) twinning by compression in the direction of the extrusion axis. In order to explain the results of cyclic stressing in alternate tension and compression upon the tangent elastic modulus in such material, Dorn and Thomsen2 have postulated that, following twinning under applied compression, a retwinning or un-twinning occurs as a result of residual microtensile stresses immediately upon removal of the applied compressive force. Recently, Carapella and Shaw4 have used this supposition of untwinning in magnesium in discussing their results on indentation hardness and on cold drawing of MI sheet. In trying to confirm this hypothesis by suitable direct experiments, the authors have been unsuccessful in detecting any evidence whatsoever that untwinning follows the release of applied compression and are forced to conclude that this hypothesis is improbable or, at least, that the quantity of material involved is small. For the experiments, small cylindrical specimens 0.040-in. diam. X 0.120- to 0.140-in. long were etched from 0.0625-in. extruded rod. The ends of the specimens were accurately faced off parallel in a jeweler's lathe. The compression jig was simply an ordinary set of micrometer calipers with an anvil interposed between the spindle and the specimen. The anvil was free to move axially but restrained from rotating so that the rotation of the spindle would not introduce a twisting stress on the specimen. With this arrangement the compressive strains could be estimated to 0.0001 in. and X ray pinhole photographs could be taken with or without load as required. Fig I is the pattern of an uncompressed specimen of AZ3I alloy, showing the approximate [1010] extrusion fiber. The X ray beam is normal to the extrusion axis; in this position it is particularly sensitive in detecting twinning if one directs his attention to the diffraction ring from the basal plane. Since twinning on (1072 planes produced an 86" reorientation of the crystal lattice, the original basal reflections occur at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions while the (0002) reflections from any twinned material will occur at the 6 and 12 o'clock positions. Fig 2 shows the same specimen compressed 3.0 pct, photographed while still under load. This strain has been just enough to produce a detectible amount of twinning and the sensitivity is roughly indicated by the fact that no alterations were produced in the intensities or maxima of the other diffraction rings. A strain of

Jan 1, 1949

By Henry S. Washington

During the last twenty years or so the chemical investigation of rocks has made great advances, and it is now generally recognized that a knowledge of the chemical composition is as essential as that of the texture or mineral composition—if not more so—for the proper classification of rocks and study of their origin and relationships. Rock-analyses have vastly increased in number and, what is of greater importance, in quality. New and improved methods permit of greater accuracy than was possible in the early days, and the list of chemical constituents frequently determined has risen from the seven or eight of the greater part of the nineteenth century, to twenty or more. Indeed, rock-analyses with determinations of so many constituents are now commonly made by the chemists of the United States and Australia, while in Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy the rarer constituents are determined more frequently than formerly. As a consequence of this modern, accurate work, it has been discovered that some elements which were formerly supposed to be rare are of wide-spread occurrence and are often present in considerable amount. The fact is further being developed that the elements tend to show certain relations of occurrence or abundance in connection with each other. This is a fact which is applicable to the rarer elements, and which also finds a broad geological and petrological expression in the recognition of petrographic provinces. We are beginning to obtain some definite, though as yet rudimentary, knowledge of the distribution of the elements among igneous rocks. Some of the results along these lines obtained by study of the vast accumulation of analytical data now available are well known to petrologists, while others do not seem to be so gener-

Jan 1, 1909

By J. J. Egan, A. B. Kinzel, W. Crafts

Advances in the production of quality steel have emphasized the need for greater knowledge of the amount and distribution of oxygen in the steel. Control of inclusion content and quality is largely dependent on such knowledge. While many analytical methods have been devised for the accomplishment of this end, few are without serious limitations in accuracy, convenience, or skill required in application. Usually at least two methods are necessary to determine total oxygen and constituent oxides. Because of the great importance of this problem and the specific interest in the application of such methods of analysis, the various procedures were carefully reviewed at the Union Carbide and Carbon Research Laboratories, with the view of developing a method free from the limitations mentioned above. Intensive experimentation finally led to an improved iodine extraction analysis described by Cunningham and Price.1 After this had been thoroughly checked from the standpoint of the analytical chemist, it was rechecked from that of the metallurgist. This involved preparation of a number of small heats of varying composition with determination of total oxygen in the molten metal by the alumina method2 and an analysis of the solidified material without the aluminum addition by means of iodine extraction; the oxides of iron, manganese, silicon and aluminum also being determined by the iodine analysis. The report of this work constitutes the subject of this paper. The Iodine Method Fundamentally the iodine method is well established. It is based on the procedure first described by Eggertz3 and depends upon the fact that iron, manganese, silicon and aluminum, as well as the metallic constituents of the pertinent sulfides, carbides and nitrides of these metals

Jan 1, 1933

By L. K. Nemeth, H. T. Kennedy

The investigation presented in this paper was performd to develop a relationship between the dewpoint pressure of a hydrocarbon reservoir fluid and its composition, temperature and characteristics of the heptanes-plus fraction. This is part of an over-all program to develop correlations for the essential properties of reservoir fluids with the composition, temperature and pressure. In all, 579 dewpoint pressures, determined experimentally on 480 different condensate systems along with their compositions and temperatures, were obtained from the literature and from previously unpublished sources. Compositions were expressed in terms of mol fractions of methane through heptanes-plus, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, and the molecular weight and specific gravity of the heptanes-plus fraction. Distribution of the samples assured a good representation of most of the major oil-producing areas in the world. A multiple regression analysis program written for the IBhl 7094 digital computer was used to compare numerous equations and to calculate their coefficients. The final equation containing 11 coefficients resulted in an average absolute deviation of 7.4 percent for all the samples. Segregation of data on the basis of one or more variables did not materially improve the results. The correlation developed is useful in predicting the dewpoint pressure of condensate reservoir fluids from variables normally measured in the laboratory. INTRODUCTION In any discussion of the dewpoint of hydrocarbon mixtures, it should be noted that there are two kinds of dewpoints which must be distinguished. The first type, or normal dewpoint, usually occurs at low pressures as dry gas is compressed to the point where liquid first forms. The second type, sometimes called the retrograde dewpoint, occurs when a gas mixture containing heavy hydrocarbons in solution is depressured until a liquid is formed. The first type, as applied to condensate mixtures, would normally be below atmospheric pressure and would be of no interest in reservoir performance. The second type is of great significance in interpreting reservoir behavior and is the property referred to throughout this paper. Laboratory measurement of dewpoints is laborious, expensive and subject to many errors, and it is desirable to find a reasonably accurate method to predict dewpoint pressures from the composition and other readily available properties normally measured on the fluids. A possible method of calculating dewpoint pressures would be to employ a set of equilibrium ratios (K-values). 1 However, the K-values themselves depend on composition as well as temperature and pressure; presently their use adds nothing to the accuracy of predicting dewpoints. If future correlations provide a significantly better method of estimating K-values for heavy hydrocarbons, they may be of greater use. REVIEW OF LITERATURE In 1944, Olds, Sage and Lacey 2 studied the behavior of fluids from the Paloma field. Properties of seven mixtures were studied at temperatures ranging from 100 to 250 F and at pressures up to 5,000 psia. From the information obtained, the influence of composition and temperature upon the dewpoint was determined. It was found that removal of the intermediate molecular weight components from the mixture resulted in considerable increases in the dewpoint pressures. Results indicated that the effect of changes in temperature was relatively minor when compared with the effect of modifying the mixture by removing the intermediate components. Thus, removal of propane and butanes resulted in an increase in dewpoint pressure more than 10 times greater than a change in temperature from 100 to 250 F. The authors stated that althouah

By J. B. Hess, R. L. Dietrich

IN the mechanical twinning of magnesium on the {1012} planes the crystallographic deformation is such that, in the direction of the hexagonal axis [0001], twinning is possible only under tension stress, while in the directions perpendicular to the hexagonal axis, twinning is possible only under applied compression. Thus in extruded magnesium and magnesium alloys where the extruded textures are best described as either [1010] or [ 1120] fibers,1 the basal planes are all nearly parallel to the extrusion axis and such material is susceptible to {1012 } twinning by compression in the direction of the extrusion axis. In order to explain the results of cyclic stressing in alternate tension and compression upon the tangent elastic modulus in such material, Dorn and Thomsen2 have postulated that, following twinning under applied compression, a retwinning or untwinning occurs as a result of residual microtensile stresses immediately upon removal of the applied compressive force. Recently, Carapella and Shaw3,4 have used this supposition of untwinning in magnesium in discussing their results on indentation hardness and on cold drawing of MI sheet. In trying to confirm this hypothesis by suitable direct experiments, the authors have been unsuccessful in detecting any evidence whatsoever that untwinning follows the release of applied compression and are forced to conclude that this hypothesis is improbable or, at least, that the quantity of material involved is small. For the experiments, small cylindrical specimens 0.040-in. diam. X 0.120- to 0.140-in. long were etched from 0.0625-in. extruded rod. The ends of the specimens were accurately faced off parallel in a jeweler's lathe. The compression jig was simply an ordinary set of micrometer calipers with an anvil interposed between the spindle and the specimen. The anvil was free to move axially but restrained from rotating so that the rotation of the spindle would not introduce a twisting stress on the specimen. With this arrangement the compressive strains could be estimated to 0.0001 in. and X ray pinhole photographs could be taken with or without load as required. Fig 1 is the pattern of an uncompressed specimen of AZ31 alloy, showing the approximate [1010] extrusion fiber. The X ray beam is normal to the extrusion axis; in this position it is particularly sensitive in detecting twinning if one directs his attention to the diffraction ring from the basal plane. Since twinning on {1012} planes produced an 86° reorientation of the crystal lattice, the original basal reflections occur at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions while the (0002) reflections from any twinned material will occur at the 6 and 12 o'clock positions. Fig 2 shows the same specimen compressed 3.0 pct, photographed while still under load. This strain has been just enough to produce a detectible amount of twinning and the sensitivity is roughly indicated by the fact that no alterations were produced in the intensities or maxima of the other diffraction rings. A strain of

Jan 1, 1948

By J. T. Norton, J. G. McMullin

The ternary system of gold-silver-copper is characterized by a solid solubility gap and a two phase region in which copper-poor and silver-poor phases coexist. At about 30 pct gold, the two phases become mutually soluble at temperatures below the melting temperature. As the gold content is increased, the solubility temperature of the alloys decreases until at about 80 pct gold, the two phases are soluble down to the lowest temperature at which the alloys will recrystallize. Although the general form of the two phase region is known, its boundaries do not seem to have been investigated extensively. In an X ray diffraction study, Masing and Kloiberl have outlined the boundaries of this two phase field at 400 and 750°C. Using only microscopic techniques, Pickus and Pickus2 determined a vertical section of the ternary diagram showing the 14 kt alloys (58.3 pct gold). These two reports are riot in complete agreement. It has been shown3 that some of the ternary alloys are susceptible to age hardening and that the hardening is caused by the separation of a homogeneous alloy into two phases at the aging temperature. While the gold-copper binary system is an outstanding example of super lattice formation, Hultgren4 has shown that a few per cent of silver added to gold-copper destroys the tendency for ordering. Because of the age hardening possibilities of these alloys, it seemed advisable to investigate the boundaries of the two phase field more in detail using an X ray diffraction method, so as to permit a better understanding of the aging phenomena and enable predictions as to the behavior of other alloys to be made. This is especially true for the 18 kt alloys (75.0 pct Au) at the lower temperatures since they are known to exhibit age hardening. Twelve ternary alloys were prepared having the compositions shown in Table 1 and graphically in Fig 1. The gold used was fine gold bars supplied by Handy and Harmon. The silver was a bar of high purity silver from the U. S. Bureau of Standards. The copper was a bar of vacuum-treated, high conductivity copper from the National Research Corporation. The pure metals in the form of powder were weighed out in proper proportions and melted in graphite in a high frequency induction vacuum furnace. They were heated to 1100°C and slowly cooled. The ingots were then removed from the crucible, inverted, returned to the crucible and remelted. This remelting procedure was intended to reduce segregation in the ingots. After remelting, the ingots were checked for weight loss. The weight loss in each ten gram ingot was held to less than 25 mg. The remelted ingots were cold rolled and then given a homogenizing heat treatment of 16 hr at 760°C to remove any remaining segregation. Powder specimens were prepared by cutting the ingots with a fine file, one half the required amount of powder being taken from each end of the ingots. When the X ray diffraction pattern showed any difference in lattice constant between the ends of the ingot, the ingot was remelted and given an additional homogenization treatment. All powder samples were sealed in evacuated pyrex tubes for heat treatment. Ordinary pyrex proved satisfactory for temperatures up to 650°C but above that temperature it was necessary to use a special high temperature pyrex glass. Annealing at temperatures below 500°C was done in a salt bath whereas for temperatures of 500°C and above an electric muffle furnace was used. In both furnaces the temperature control was ± 5°C. In all annealing treatments samples of cold worked powder were placed in a furnace which was already at temperature. In this manner the specimens recrystallized directly to the equilibrium structure for that temperature. Time at temperature was selected so as to allow complete recrystallization, but very little grain growth. Specimens were quenched from the annealing temperatures by breaking the pyrex tubes in cold water. X ray diffraction photograms were made of all the heat treated powders using copper radiation and a Phragmen

Jan 1, 1950

HUBERT INGERSOLL ELLIS Hubert Ingersoll Ellis, who met accidental death on Jan. 6, 1919, in eastern Washington, had already advanced far in the profession of mining engineering and gave promise of a brilliant future. He was born on the Washington coast in June, 1889, and had his preparatory schooling at Menlo, Wash. In 1905; he entered the College of Mines of the University of Washington, and at once made a high record of scholarship. After completing 3 years of his technical course, he went to the interior of Alaska, where he spent 4 years in mining. During this time he was field correspondent for technical-magazines and wrote several important articles. In 1915, Ellis completed his senior year in the College of Mines; his graduation thesis was a comprehensive paper on mining methods at Fairbanks, Alaska, which was published as a series of articles in the Engineering and Mining Journal. On July 14, 1915, he entered the employ of the Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining & Concentrating Co., Kellogg, Ida., as an underground miner, and was soon promoted to the position of operative on experimental metallurgy and later chemist in the same work. Later, he did exhaustive work on flotation with particular attention to the use of various addition agents. For the past 212 years, his work was largely in the field, examining mining prospects and directing work of investigation, during which time, while located at Sumter Valley, Ore., in 1916, he was elected to membership in the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. During the same year, he was married to Miss Grace Wells, of Arkadelphia, Ark., and besides his widow leaves a young son. In Hubert I. Ellis, there was found the rare combination of executive, administrative, and business ability, together with a temperament exceptionally well adapted and trained for research work and for the careful and exhaustive examination of engineering problems, both practical, and academic. These qualities were in addition to a splendid physique and a personality that made him highly successful in the handling of sub-ordinates and in his contact with his associates and the public.

Jan 4, 1919

By George F. Learning

TOTAL DIRECT IMPACT The uranium mining industry's principal economic impacts on the Texas economy are the result of three flows of money from the industry into the remainder of the state's economy. These three are: (1) money paid to individuals (personal income) ; (2) money paid to other businesses (business income); and (3) money paid to state and local governments (government revenues). As these direct payments from the uranium industry to various other sectors of the Texas economy subsequently circulate and recirculate within the state, the indirect effects of uranium mining's direct impacts multiply to reach amounts significantly higher than the direct income flows alone. Over the past decade, the uranium mining industry has substantially increased its role as a provider of jobs, personal income, business income, and government revenues in Texas. The growth has come almost exclusively in a largely rural, seven-county area that lies within the triangle formed by the Laredo, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi metropolitan areas. The uranium mining industry, in fact, has been the major dynamic element in this rural area despite relative stagnation in most of the region's other basic economic sectors. Over the three years from 1976 to 1978, the South Texas uranium mining industry directly contributed a total of $115 million to the economy of the seven- county region in which it operated and $164 million to the economy of the entire state of Texas. In 1979 alone, the total direct contribution of the industry to the Texas economy had climbed to $124 million in personal, business, and government income. PERSONAL INCOME IMPACT In the period from 1976 through 1978, the South Texas uranium mining industry provided an average of $12.5 million in personal income each year directly to residents of Atascosa, Bee, Duval , Karnes, Live Oak, McMullen, and Webb counties -- the seven Texas' counties that make up the South Texas Uranium Belt. A1 though 84 percent of this resulted from the employment of area residents in uranium industry jobs, some amounts were also provided by the payment of rents and royalties to land owners for the use of their land and mineral rights in uranium mining operations. In 1979, the uranium industry provided approximately $38 million to residents of the Uranium Belt and the rest of Texas. This was more than double the average of $16.1 million provided to Texas residents during the 1976 to 1978 period. The full importance of the uranium industry as a source of personal income, however, should not be reckoned merely by the amount of wages and salaries that it pays directly to its own employees, nor by its rent and royalty payments paid directly to land and mineral rights owners living in Texas. The added payments that the industry makes directly to other Texas businesses and state and local governments in Texas are themselves converted into personal income as those business firms and government units in turn pay their employees. All of the direct income payments made by the uranium industry circulate and recirculate within the state's economy, multiplying their impact as they go, until they eventually all leak out of the state as federal taxes or as payments to individuals or businesses located outside of Texas. The combined circulation and recirculation of the direct personal, business, and government income that was provided by the-uranium industry in Texas during 1976, 1977, and 1978 resulted in an average annual amount of indirect personal income of more than $83 mill ion. This alone was $20 mill ion more than the industry's average annual sales during the same years. The total of combined direct and indirect personal income contributed to the Texas economy by the uranium mining industry in that same three-year period thus averaged almost $100 million annually. In 1979, the amount of indirect personal income contributed to the Texas economy by the circulation of uranium mining's direct contributions had risen to about $196 million, more than double the average of the previous three years. The combined direct and in- direct personal income impact in 1979 thus amounted to $234 million. BUSINESS INCOME IMPACT The income provided directly to other Texas business firms through the purchase of needed goods and services by the uranium industry has been twice as big as the industry's payrolls. In 1976, 1977, and 1978, the South Texas uranium industry spent an average of almost $36 million each year to buy both goods and services from other Texas businesses. By 1979, this direct contribution to the Texas economy had swollen to $76 million. The biggest share of the uranium industry's payments to other businesses have gone to contracting firms, including both construction firms and those providing specialized mining services. In the past four years, about 40 percent of the direct payments made by Texas uranium producers to other Texas firms have been to contractors. Texas wholesale and retail firms have also shared in the business sales provided by the South Texas uranium mining industry. Over the past four years, Texas wholesale and retail trade businesses have accounted for about 34 percent of the uranium mining industry's purchases from other Texas businesses. Public utilities firms have received another six per- cent, while Texas manufacturers and transportation firms have accounted for about five percent each. The other sectors of the state's economy, including other mineral industries, agriculture, finance, insurance, real estate, and services, have accounted

Jan 1, 1980

By Wallace Ralston

The East Texas area includes the northeast 38 counties of the state of Texas. It covers all, and extends beyond, the borders of what is commonly described as the East Texas Basin. It is one of the most important oil and gas-producing areas of the Mid-Continent Province. It includes four important oil fields—Van, East Texas, Cayuga and Long Lake— and the recent extension of Rodessa field into Cass County, Texas, may prove to be of major size. Four commercial gas fields are in this area— Bethany, Waskom, Cayuga and Long Lake. Up to January, 1936, all of the oil has been produced from the Upper Cretaceous formations, and most of that from the basal member, the Woodbine sand. Gas is produced from both the Upper and Lower Cretaceous formations. Development in Fields East Texas Field.—This field continued to dominate the drilling and production situation throughout the United States. There were 4036 wells completed in this field during 1935; that is, 365 more wells than were completed during 1934. Drilling activity was due to close spacing of wells and the addition of 10,000 acres to the field. The field is now drilled to a density of one well to 6½ acres, which is certainly more wells than necessary for economic production of the field. The close spacing of wells is due mostly to the type of proration, which is per well allowable based on a potential test, and does not take acreage into consideration, and also to the numerous small acreage tracts such as town lots and excess strips. The field now has 19,519 producing wells. The allowable production for the field during 1935 was 161,118,659 bbl.; estimated production, including illegal or "hot oil," was 174,200,150. The illegal production of oil gradually decreased throughout the year, until an estimated low was reached of 20,500 bbl. daily during the months of November and December. The price of oil remained at $1.00 per barrel throughout the year. As stated, about 10,000 acres were added to the field during the year, making a total of 128,000 productive acres. There is a possibility that

Jan 1, 1936

By Barnabas Bryan

In the year 1875, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, acting on incorrect information concerning the production of oil and gas, established what has become the law of the land for the governing of oil production. While the decision was ideal for the refining monopoly which was completed in that year, there is no evidence that the court was in any way influenced by that refining monopoly. The evidence indicates that the court accepted the view of the royalty owner and independent oil producer. Throughout the life of the refining monopoly it accepted this law, which was so evidently to its advantage in securing cheap raw material. The same policy continued until the development of the exhaustion theory and the entry of the various units of the former monopoly into the production of crude oil. It is curious that no one doubted the new theory of shortage sufficiently to feel the need of changing the law. When the theory entered the economic field sufficiently to raise crude oil prices beyond justification it shortly disproved itself, but by this time the question of split ownership in producing fields made a change from legal error to justice too complicated to be undertaken by the large companies. Not even the ardent advocate of unit operation dared to carry the question to the United States Supreme Court, which has never been asked to pass on the complete question. The impossible position of the producing industry, hemmed in on one side by court law compelling wasteful production and on the other by the national law against cooperation, lasted until the demoralization of 1927 led to cooperation within a state and under state guidance. Since that time control of production has grown with the bringing in of each new field and at this time has the active support of the Department of the Interior in such ways as are definitely legal. As in 1875, the royalty owner and independent producer are opposing by all possible means the rational conduct of the business of producing crude oil. Fluctuation in Investments The investor in oil securities has not been as badly fooled as has the oil man himself. Fig. 1 is designed to show the composite regard of all

Jan 1, 1930

By Wallace Ralston

The East Texas area includes the northeast 38 counties of the state of Texas. It covers all, and extends beyond, the borders of what is commonly described as the East Texas Basin. It is one of the most important oil and gas-producing areas of the Mid-Continent Province. It includes four important oil fields—Van, East Texas, Cayuga and Long Lake— and the recent extension of Rodessa field into Cass County, Texas, may prove to be of major size. Four commercial gas fields are in this area— Bethany, Waskom, Cayuga and Long Lake. Up to January, 1936, all of the oil has been produced from the Upper Cretaceous formations, and most of that from the basal member, the Woodbine sand. Gas is produced from both the Upper and Lower Cretaceous formations. Development in Fields East Texas Field.—This field continued to dominate the drilling and production situation throughout the United States. There were 4036 wells completed in this field during 1935; that is, 365 more wells than were completed during 1934. Drilling activity was due to close spacing of wells and the addition of 10,000 acres to the field. The field is now drilled to a density of one well to 6½ acres, which is certainly more wells than necessary for economic production of the field. The close spacing of wells is due mostly to the type of proration, which is per well allowable based on a potential test, and does not take acreage into consideration, and also to the numerous small acreage tracts such as town lots and excess strips. The field now has 19,519 producing wells. The allowable production for the field during 1935 was 161,118,659 bbl.; estimated production, including illegal or "hot oil," was 174,200,150. The illegal production of oil gradually decreased throughout the year, until an estimated low was reached of 20,500 bbl. daily during the months of November and December. The price of oil remained at $1.00 per barrel throughout the year. As stated, about 10,000 acres were added to the field during the year, making a total of 128,000 productive acres. There is a possibility that

Jan 1, 1936

By M. L. Fuller

During the last several years many papers have appeared dealing with the structure of highly polished metal surfaces. The awakening of interest in this subject is due to the applicability of the electron diffraction technique to the study of surfaces. The original theory of Beilbyl considered the surface of polished metals as of the nature of a supercooled liquid or a vitreous, amorphous solid. The electron diffraction effects from polished metals have been interpreted by rnany to be a direct experimental proof of the correctness of the Beilby theory. This interpretation has been strongly opposed by others, so that at the present time the subject is in an uncertain and controversial state. In the present paper new, and hitherto unpublished, electron diffraction effects from polished zinc are desrribed. These observations indicate that the polished surface of zinc is crystalline. Published Work Many papers2""10 have interpreted the electron diffraction evidence as proof of the Beilby amorphous theory. All investigators agree that highly polished metals give rise to two diffuse diffraction haloes, similar to those obtained by the diffraction of X-rays in liquids and vitreous solids. It is this similarity that leads to the amorphous-layer interpretation of polished metals. Strangely, the interatomic distances calculated from these haloes are very similar for the various metals investigated, in spite of a rather wide range of such distances in the crystalline and liquid states. The calculated atomic sizes are, furthermore, smaller than are experienced in the normal states of the metals. In spite of these anomalies, the amorphous-layer interpretation has been adhered to by many. One investigator, S. Dobinski," differs from the others in his experimental results. By polishing under benzene in order to avoid the possibility of oxidation, Dobinski obtains diffuse haloes of radii different from those previously obtained. He thus obtains a more rational quantitative correlation of the diffuse haloes with the amorphous-layer theory.

Jan 1, 1939

By M. L. Fuller

During the last several years many papers have appeared dealing with the structure of highly polished metal surfaces. The awakening of interest in this subject is due to the applicability of the electron diffraction technique to the study of surfaces. The original theory of Beilbyl considered the surface of polished metals as of the nature of a supercooled liquid or a vitreous, amorphous solid. The electron diffraction effects from polished metals have been interpreted by rnany to be a direct experimental proof of the correctness of the Beilby theory. This interpretation has been strongly opposed by others, so that at the present time the subject is in an uncertain and controversial state. In the present paper new, and hitherto unpublished, electron diffraction effects from polished zinc are desrribed. These observations indicate that the polished surface of zinc is crystalline. Published Work Many papers2""10 have interpreted the electron diffraction evidence as proof of the Beilby amorphous theory. All investigators agree that highly polished metals give rise to two diffuse diffraction haloes, similar to those obtained by the diffraction of X-rays in liquids and vitreous solids. It is this similarity that leads to the amorphous-layer interpretation of polished metals. Strangely, the interatomic distances calculated from these haloes are very similar for the various metals investigated, in spite of a rather wide range of such distances in the crystalline and liquid states. The calculated atomic sizes are, furthermore, smaller than are experienced in the normal states of the metals. In spite of these anomalies, the amorphous-layer interpretation has been adhered to by many. One investigator, S. Dobinski," differs from the others in his experimental results. By polishing under benzene in order to avoid the possibility of oxidation, Dobinski obtains diffuse haloes of radii different from those previously obtained. He thus obtains a more rational quantitative correlation of the diffuse haloes with the amorphous-layer theory.

Jan 1, 1939

By F. G. Jones, R. D. Pehlke, H. E. Gardner

The solubility of nitrogen in liquid Fe-18 pct Cr-8 pct Ni-0. 7 to 2.3 pct A1 alloys has been measured up to the solubility limit for the formation of aluminum nitride in the temperature range 1600° to 1700°C uszng the Sieverts' method. The solubility of nitrogen in 18-8 stainless steel increases with increasing aluminum content. Based on a nitride composition, AlN, the standard free energy of formation of aluminum nitride from the elements dissolved in liquid 18-8 stainless-steel alloys has been determined to be: ?G° = -42,500 + 20. IT in the range from 1600° to 1700° C. EVANS and pehlke1 have measured the equilibrium conditions for the formation of aluminum nitride, AlN, in liquid Fe-A1 alloys. The present study extends that work to the more complex solvent, liquid 18 pct Cr-8 pct Ni (18-8) stainless steel. Recent work by Small and pehlke2 has dealt with the effect of fourth-element additions on the solubility of nitrogen in 18-8 base alloys. They found the effect of aluminum additions, up to 0.74 pct, on the solubility of nitrogen to be small. The present study covered the range from 0.74 to 2.28 pct aluminum, and by extending the composition range may be used to better define the effect of aluminum on the nitrogen solubility in these alloys. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The Sieverts' method was used to measure the equilibrium solubility of nitrogen gas in liquid 18-8 stainless steel alloys containing 0.74, 1.49, 1.93, and 2.28 pct Al. The solubility was measured as a function of the nitrogen gas pressure at temperatures of 1600°, 1650°, and 1700°C. The apparatus used is the same as described by Small and Pehlke.2 The 100-g melts were made from Ferrovac-E high-purity iron, Crucible Steel Co.; 99.95 pct Cr, Union Carbide Corp.; 99.9 pct Ni, International Nickel Co.; and 99.99+ pct Al, Aluminum Co. of America. The aluminum was charged at the bottom of the crucible, surrounded by nickel and iron. The chromium was packed into the interstices to minimize vapor transport of the aluminum during initial melting. The hot volume of the system, measured for each melt with argon, ranged from 45 to 55 standard cu cm with a temperature coefficient of —8 x 10-3 cu cm per °C. The melt temperature was measured with a Leeds and Northrup disappearing-filament type optical pyrometer sighted vertically downward on the center of the melt surface. The temperature calibration of the system by Small and pehlke2 was assumed. Two problems are involved in determining the solubility product of a solid, metal nitride phase in liquid iron alloys. These are: 1) establishing the point of departure from Henrian behavior at the solubility limit of the metal nitride phase; and 2) determining the composition of the solid nitride which is precipitated. Determination of the solubility product of AlN was made by admitting small amounts of nitrogen into the reaction bulb until the deviation from Sieverts' law was clearly evident in the form of a pressure halt. To obtain the solubility product at several temperatures during one run the following procedure was used: 1) add increments of nitrogen to determine the Sieverts' law line at the lowest desired temperature; 2) continue to add nitrogen to precipitate a small amount of the nitride phase; 3) increase the melt temperature 50°C to dissolve the precipitated nitride; 4) repeat step 2 until either a nitride formed or the system reached ambient pressure; if a nitride formed at 1650°C, the sequence was repeated at 1700°C. The composition of the precipitated phase was checked by an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained from powder scraped from the surface of the solidified 1.93 pct A1 melt. RESULTS AND DISCUSSlON Solubility Measurements. Fig. 1 is a typical nitrogen-absorption curve obtained from measurements on a 1.93 pct A1 alloy. Since the initial absorption of nitrogen follows Sieverts' law the nitrogen solubility is plotted as a function of the square root of the pressure of nitrogen gas in the reaction bulb. The results of the solubility measurements for all alloys studied are summarized in Table I. The slope of the Sieverts' law line for each alloy was determined. Since this is also the solubility of nitrogen at 1 atm pressure of nitrogen gas, the latter designation is used for the data. It should be noted. however, that in most cases the value lies above the solubility limit for AlN. Fig. 2 shows the effect of aluminum on the solubility of nitrogen at this reference pressure and as a function of melt temperature. The solid portions of the lines represent attainable solutions; the dashed regions lie above the limit for precipitation of AlN.

Jan 1, 1969

By George W. Doffing

Numerous contradictory statements have been made in the past regarding the importance of the seasonal influence of demand for motor fuel on prices of oil securities. It has often been said that the time to buy oil securities is in the spring, or just prior to the heavy consuming season for gasoline. The fallacy of this argument is brought out in the following paragraphs. Seasonality of Oil-security Prices The indexes used in this paper as indicators of prices of oil securities and general industrials are those compiled by Standard Statistics Co. The oil producing and refining stock index includes 14 representative petroleum companies, while the all-industrials index is made up of 347 issues. All figures are stated as relatives, with 1926 = 100. The primary basis of the index, and one that gives a good weighting of the relative importance of the company within the industry, is the total market value of the stock issue outstanding; i.e., the market price times the number of shares outstanding. Adjustments are made for the addition or elimination of issues from the group index, for stock dividends, split-ups, stock rights, et cetera. At the present time the oil producing and refining index includes the following companies: Atlantic Refining Co., Consolidated Oil Corporation, Continental Oil Co., Gulf Oil Corporation, Humble Oil & Refining Co., Ohio Oil Co., Royal Dutch Co., Shell Union Oil Corporation, Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., Standard Oil Company of California, Standard Oil Co. (Indiana), Standard Oil Co. (New Jersey), Texas Corporation, Union Oil Company of California. In calculating the seasonal for oil-security prices several periods have been selected as indicat,ive of major changes in the industry, as follows: 1. 1918 through 1936. This gives an over-all picture of the industry during the motor-vehicle, motor-fuel era. 2. 1927 through 1936. This period includes the control stages, both voluntary and coercive. 3. 1927 to September, 1933. This is the pre-code period of control.

Jan 1, 1937

By Ralph Hultgren, Bernard York, David W. Mitchell

It is a well-known fact that magnesium-alloy castings are apt to be coarse grained if the melt is not superheated several hundred degrees above the melting point before casting. (The casting temperature varies according to the shape of the mold. A typical casting temperature is perhaps 1400°F.) British practice is to heat to 900°C. (1650°F.) for 15 min., cool rapidly to casting temperature, and cast.' In Germany superheating is carried out at 850' to 900°C. (1560° to I650°F.) depending on the amount of scrap used. It is stated that further refinement will be obtained by prolonging the period of superheating or by increasing the superheat temperature to 950°C. (I740°F.).2 In the United States superheating is carried out at 1600' to 1700°F. (871' to 927°C.), perhaps even higher in some places. It is stated that superheating effects are found as low as 1500°F. (816°C.), but several hours are required.3 These commercial treatments lead to grain sizes in sand castings that may vary from 4 to 8 grains per sq. mm.! in heavy sections and from 60 to IOO in 1/2-in. sections to perhaps 380 in thin sections. It is also generally known that the refining effect of superheating is lost if the melt is held for some time at lower temperatures before casting. Aside from these very qualitative statements, there is little to be found in the literature as to the effect of temperature and time of superheat on the final grain size. Because of the uncertainty of these factors, the Office of Production Research and Development of the War Production Board placed a research contract with the University of California, supervised by the War Metallurgy Committee. This research, which was done under the "Restricted" Project NRC-550, is the basis of this paper, which has been released for publication by the O.P.R.D. The material studied was an alloy prepared from carbothermic magnesium. The temperatures required for grain refinement proved to be widely different from those used in practice, as described in the statements in the first paragraph. This difference is attributed to the fact that the magnesium in the specimens was of carbothermic origin instead of the electrolytic magnesium in common use. Materials and Methods The magnesium alloy studied was one of the most popular sand-casting alloys, with a nominal composition of 9 Per cent aluminum, 2 per cent zinc, and 0.1 per cent (minimum) manganese and the balance magnesium. This is designated

Jan 1, 1945

By H. M. Morse

There was little change in the oil and gas industry in Mississippi during the year 1938. No new fields were discovered and the production from the Amory field was nil. In the Jackson gas field six wells were drilled and production was obtained in each instance, but none of these wells increased the area from which the gas is produced. Outside the Jackson gas field nine wells were drilled, of which details are given in the accompanying table. The seeming lack of activity in Mississippi belied what was actually happening, for a great many geophysical crews of the major companies were active in all parts of the state. There were approximately 65 structures mapped and for the most part these have been leased. It is believed that 1939 will see an increase in wildcatting over a large part of the state.

Jan 1, 1939